MANILA, Philippines—UAAP Season 88 host University of Santo Tomas will be without one of its main men in the first game of the men’s basketball tournament.

In the curtain opener of Season 88, the Growling Tigers will take on the defending kings of the UAAP, University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, but they will have to make do without Forthsky Padrigao.

The opener is set for September 21 at Quadricentennial Pavilion inside the UST campus.

READ: New UST star Forthsky Padrigao is a point—not points—guard

Padrigao, UST’s primary shot-caller, was ejected in the squad’s final game of Season 87—coincidentally, against the Fighting Maroons—due to two infractions of unsportsmanlike fouls.

Since that ended up being the Growling Tigers’ final game of the season, the one-game ban was carried over to the upcoming tournament, with the UAAP board upholding the decision.

Padrigao, who averaged 8.67 points and 5.87 assists last season, would have played the first game of his final collegiate year on home soil.

READ: UAAP: Huge crowd expected for Season 88 opening in UST

The Growling Tigers will still have fellow graduating guard Nic Cabañero leading the way for last year’s semifinalists in the opener.

They will be taking on a revamped State U squad, which won’t have the services of JD Cagulangan, Francis Lopez and Quentin Millora-Brown, who have all moved on from their Diliman stints.